Types of Milling Operations

What is Milling?

Milling is a way to cut metal and other hard stuff. We use a tool that spins. The tool has sharp edges. These edges take off tiny bits of the material.

Milling helps us make flat surfaces. It also helps make shapes and holes. We can make parts for cars, planes, and many other things.

Why Milling is Important

Milling is very good for making things. Here’s why:

• It makes parts very exact
• It can work with many materials
• It can make complex shapes
• It works fast

Let’s look at the different types of milling!

Face Milling

Face milling cuts flat surfaces. The tool spins and moves across the top of the material. 

How Face Milling Works:

1. The tool spins
2. The flat bottom of the tool cuts
3. This makes a smooth, flat surface

What Face Milling is Good For:

• Making engine blocks
• Making flat bases for molds
• Making smooth surfaces

Face milling is 20% faster than other ways to make flat surfaces. This helps make car parts faster! 

Peripheral Milling

Peripheral milling cuts along the edges or sides of the material. The tool cuts with its sides, not its bottom.

Types of Peripheral Milling:

1. Slab milling – makes flat sides
2. Slotting – makes grooves
3. Straddle milling – cuts both sides at once

With peripheral milling, you can get surfaces that are very smooth – between 0.8 and 3.2 micrometers!

End Milling

End milling is very useful because it can do many things. We use tools called end mills that have cutting edges on the end and sides.

End mills can make:

• Pockets (holes that don’t go all the way through)
• Contours (curved shapes)
• 3D shapes that are complex

End mills can be very exact. They can cut within 0.025 mm when working with aluminum. That’s thinner than a human hair! 

You can learn more about end milling techniques at iStar Machining.

Form Milling

Form milling makes special shapes. The cutting tool has the shape we want to make. When we cut, we get that exact shape in the material.

What Form Milling Makes:

• Gears with teeth
• Threads for screws
• Special shapes that are hard to make

Form milling is very exact. It makes parts with the right shape the first time. This cuts work time by 40%!

For more complex shapes, you might need 5 axis machining services.

CNC Milling

CNC means Computer Numerical Control. The computer tells the machine what to do. The machine follows exact instructions.

Why CNC Milling is Great:

1. Makes the same part over and over
2. Makes complex parts easily
3. Works very fast
4. Needs less people to run it
5. Makes less mistakes

CNC machines can use 5 axes to move. This helps cut odd shapes like car parts or medical tools. Using CNC cuts setup time by 60%!

Angular Milling

Angular milling cuts at an angle. The tool is set at an angle to make sloped surfaces.

What Angular Milling is Used For:

• Making bevels on edges
• Making dovetail joints
• Making V-grooves

Angular milling cuts deburring time by 30%. Deburring means taking off sharp edges after cutting.

Gang Milling

Gang milling uses more than one cutting tool at the same time. The tools are put on the same shaft.

Why Gang Milling is Fast:

• Cuts multiple surfaces at once
• Makes many features in one pass
• Works 50% faster than using one tool

Gang milling is great for making lots of the same part.

Trochoidal Milling

Trochoidal milling uses a special path. The tool moves in circles while going forward.

Benefits of Trochoidal Milling:

• Less force on the tool
• Tools last longer
• Can cut hard materials better
• Makes less heat

This type of milling is good for making slots in tough materials.

How to Pick the Right Milling Operation

Look at the Material

For tough jobs with stainless steel, you might need specialized CNC machining services.

Look at How Exact It Needs to Be

If you need very exact parts:

• Use form milling for special shapes
• Use CNC milling for complex parts
• Face milling gives a good surface finish

Parts that need to be within 0.025 mm need special care!

Look at the Machine You Have

Not all machines can do all types of milling. Check:

• How fast the spindle can go
• What tools you can use
• How the part can be held

Tools for Milling

Common Cutting Tools:

• End mills for most jobs
• Face mills for flat surfaces
• Ball-nose cutters for curved surfaces
• T-slot cutters for making T-slots
• Dovetail cutters for dovetail joints

CNC Systems:

• Fanuc controls
• Siemens controls
• Heidenhain controls

Ways to Hold the Part:

• Vises
• Clamps
• Rotary tables
• Vacuum tables

Questions People Ask

If you need to machine hard materials, check out titanium CNC machining services.

New Things in Milling

Milling keeps getting better! New things include:

• AI-driven CNC controls
• Hybrid machines that can mill and 3D print
• Better cutting tools that last longer
• Faster speeds that cut time
• Smart monitoring that checks for problems

Summary

We learned about many types of milling operations:

• Face milling for flat surfaces
• Peripheral milling for edges
• End milling for many jobs
• Form milling for special shapes
• CNC milling for exact, complex parts
• Angular milling for angled surfaces
• Gang milling for fast work
• Trochoidal milling for tough materials

The right milling operation depends on your material, how exact you need to be, and what machine you have.

Milling helps make parts for cars, planes, medical tools, and many other things we use every day!